Stella McCartney's latest adventures in Paris

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Oct 1, 2018

Stella McCartney may have cut her ties with French luxury group Kering, but she will always have Paris. 
Her latest show was named Double Trouble, and its theme was Stella and English cartoon mischief-maker Minnie the Minx on an Adventure in Paris.

 
The result was a witty collection with lots of cool clobber, blending a sassy English attitude with a dash of French hauteur. Gals in floral culottes and single combinations, or powder blue gym frocks, or athletic tops done in an gazebo print, worn with mannish trousers with pleats and belt loops, all marching at a fierce pace.
 
Stella dressed women and men in similar mono-color suits with extra long lapels and pants in soft pinks and grays, worn with white T-shirts. Her clothes managed to be informal and yet spruce enough to be worn in multiple occasions; from work to home to play.

McCartney also has built a substantial business in accessories and footwear, and she has rarely had a better selection of shoes: from the woven faux leather ballet slippers to some smooth canvas sneakers.

 
Moreover, in a season marked by the renaissance of tie-dye prints, nobody had a better version than McCartney, who sent our Kaia Gerber in an acid-washed denim boiler suit that looked sensational. Gerber, the hottest model in Paris this season, clearly liked the outfit, strutting triumphantly around the marble corridors of Palais Garnier, the storied baroque opera house where the UK designer traditionally presents her collections.
 
The show was the first since McCartney bought back the 50% of her business owned by Kering for an undisclosed sum. And she took her bow, dressed head to toe in black, with a huge smile.
 
A welcome reminder that there is still life and success in smart, sustainable fashion for a house after departing a luxury group.